Article Sidebar

Share this Story: Treatments evolving for premature ejeculation

Trending

Article content

Some guys compare their sex lives to visiting a Disney theme park — hours of anticipation followed by a few minutes of intense fun. If that ride is actually measured in seconds, they might be exhibiting premature ejaculation. An estimated one in three men experiences it at some time in life.

The Mayo Clinic’s website, mayoclinic.org, defines premature ejaculation as “being unable to delay ejaculation during intercourse all or nearly all of the time,” and also feeling “distressed or frustrated” about this. Of course, how fast is too fast is a subjective decision for each couple. However, the Mayo Clinic folks suggest that less than one minute from penetration to ejaculation is probably rushing the party.

Treatments evolving for premature ejeculationBack to video

Australian Researcher Chris McMahon recently published a thorough review of treatments for this condition. He writes that “over the past 20 to 30 years, the premature ejaculation (PE) treatment paradigm, previously limited to behavioural psychotherapy, has expanded to include drug treatment.” The range of drugs that may be used here is staggering. McMahon even mentions (ouch) the possibility of botulinum — A toxin (Botox) injections to the penis.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

Anyone concerned about PE should start by seeing a doctor. There are serious medical conditions ranging from genital infections to thyroid problems that can cause premature ejaculation. If those are ruled out, men with PE are usually offered behaviour therapy. This may involve learning techniques with descriptive names like “start-stop” and “pause-squeeze.” The latter method comes to us courtesy of those famous sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson.

What about just thinking unsexy thoughts? In another published review article, Stanley Althof, executive director of the Center for Marital and Sexual Health of South Florida, says that it’s not effective for a man to try to distract himself by thinking about baseball or stock prices during sex. Instead, Althof writes, “We teach men to hover in the mid-range of excitement and learn to slow down or speed up when they notice where they are.” He compares it to keeping your eye on the speedometer.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

However, Althof and the other authors of this paper in Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews conclude that “there is weak and inconsistent evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the treatment of premature ejaculation.”

What does work? For many men, it seems to be a combination of behaviour therapy and drugs. In his review article, McMahon notes that antidepressants including paroxetine, clomipramine, sertraline, fluoxetine, and citalopram all have an ejaculation-delaying effect. You may know these drugs under their proprietary names. For example, sertraline is Zoloft and paroxetine is Paxil. Using antidepressants for this purpose is generally considered an “off label” use.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

As explained in an article in the American Family Physician, “off-label use does not imply improper or illegal use.” What it means is that the authorities have not yet approved a drug for a particular condition, often because studies are still underway. That same article, by researchers at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, FL, lists paroxetine as a “first-line treatment” for premature ejaculation. Of course, all drugs can have adverse side-effects, and there are some special cautions when antidepressants are given to people under 18.

Researchers are also using erectile dysfunction drugs like sildenafil (Viagra) to treat premature ejaculation. Several studies have shown a kind of “two birds with one stone” phenomenon here — better erections and reduced premature ejaculation. There are also promising studies in the off-label use of a pain relief drug called Tramadol, though it can be addictive.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

For those who don’t want to take pills, there’s always the possibility of spraying the male member with an anesthetic such as lidocaine. Experts says this is moderately effective though it does certainly change the lovemaking experience. Also, unless you wear a condom, you might wind up causing unwanted numbness in your partner’s intimate parts! Masturbating a few hours before intercourse might be a more palatable self-control option for some couples.

There are also alternative medicine approaches to dealing with premature ejaculation. Yogis are famous for their control of body processes, and a pose called Paschimotasana (seated forward bend) may be just what the Yoga teacher ordered for premature ejaculation, as well as constipation. It also looks pretty benign unless you have back problems.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

Acupuncture has also been used with some success. A study in Ankara, Turkey, found an improvement in premature ejaculation symptoms by inserting acupuncture needles. You’ll be glad to know the needles were inserted into the feet and arms. This study is particularly intriguing because it may shed light on how various parts of the body interact in ejaculation control.

The key change in the past few decades is a realization that premature ejaculation is a real problem that can have profound effects on a man’s self-confidence and a couple’s relationship. The growing understanding of the problem, coupled with off-label drugs and other techniques, means that most guys with premature ejaculation can indeed find a way to make their roller-coaster ride last longer.

Dr. Tom Keenan is an award winning journalist, public speaker, professor in the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary, and author of the new book, Technocreep, (www.technocreep.com).

Notice for the Postmedia Network

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.